The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a proposed rule to substantially raise the agency’s visa-related filing fees, including for employment-based visas. Under the agency’s proposed rule, the H-1B visa lottery registration fee would rise from $10 to $215, and the H-1B application fee would rise from $460 to $780. The proposed rule also would establish a new asylum program fee of $600, which employers would pay on top of other registration and petition fees. According to the USCIS notice published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2023, the agency indicates that its visa processing costs have increased considerably since it last adjusted its fees more than seven years ago, and it needs the increased fees to cover expenses such as additional staff, expanded humanitarian programs, and technology maintenance. USCIS also claims that its proposed price hikes will enable it to provide adequate service to applicants and petitioners and ensure that processing times and backlogs improve.
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